County Offices

Elko County Programs

4-H Youth Development

4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.

Issue:

All children face risks as they grow and develop, and most children can benefit greatly from positive interactions with caring adults. Children who have strong interpersonal skills and support are less likely to participate in risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use, early sexual involvement and dropping out of school.

What Has Been Done:

For more than 90 years, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) has administered a 4-H program in Nevada, part of one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. Many 4-H alumni have become elected state officials, legislators and teachers, contributing greatly to the state and their communities. 4-H is a learn-by-doing life-skills program that teaches youth communication, self-concept, team-building, problem-solving, decision-making, self-responsibility, conflict resolution, aspiration-building, goal-setting, community leadership and career development. The youth learn through projects, in or after school, in a variety of subjects ranging from animal science to nutrition, leadership, public speaking, horticulture and other science and technology programs. Through these projects and interactions with other youth and leaders, 4-H youth learn how to make good choices, feel good about themselves, think critically and become leaders.

Impact:

In 2010, the Nevada 4-H youth program reached more than 40,000 youth through 4-H clubs, camps, after-school programs, community center projects, home study sessions and school enrichment programs. More than 2,100 adult and teen volunteer leaders helped in these educational efforts. 4-H reaches youth through organized 4-H Clubs, 4-H Military programs, School Enrichment programs, 4-H Camp programs and short-term,special-interest projects. 4-H members complete community service projects statewide. These included projects such as senior citizen yard clean-up work, water quality, recycling ink cartridges, removing invasive weeds and military recognition events. Care packages for soldiers overseas were created to provide items such as person toiletry, food and 4-H flashlights, playing cards and letters. 4-H Afterschool programs were offered in approximately 68 sites in county and tribal schools. The programming includes educational opportunities for youth focusing primarily on science, healthy living, and civic engagement.

Capacity building strengthens an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission to have a positive impact on communities. Strategic thinking, visioning, action planning, and board development are capacity building activities.

Nevada agriculture specialists have taken the traditional producer coffee-shop discussions into cyberspace. Cooperative Extension’s coffee shop is a national subscription email designed to provide a two-way communication network for livestock producers. The question-and-answer service provides answers to livestock production and marketing questions.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) has helped lead Collaborative Resource Stewardship (CRS) efforts in northeastern Nevada over the past seven years, resulting in a model for other states and areas.

Healthy Eating Active Living: Mapping Attributes using Participatory Photographic Surveys (HEAL MAPPS) is a compilation of evidence-based engagement and assessment tools that is used to audit and map community environmental features that support and/or hinder healthful eating and physical activity among community members. The MAPPS method integrates photography, participatory community mapping using global positioning system (GPS) technology, and residents’ voiced perceptions of their community. HEAL MAPPS engages people in community-based participatory research to document attributes of the rural community environment that are perceived by residents as obesity preventing or promoting and assess the local resources and readiness to implement community-level obesity prevention strategies to prevent unhealthy weight gain/overweight and obesity among children and their families.

Parents and children who have experienced domestic violence in the past participate in hands-on activities to foster family bonds, enhance communication and problem solving skills, and focus on healthy relationships. Parents learn about their child’s development, parenting styles, guidance, coping skills and health and wellness while children and youth build friendships, listening and other social and emotional skills. Each session of the 12-week program includes a healthy snack or meal, separate parent and child meetings, family-based activities, a health and wellness tip and a closing activity. Parent interact with one another during the parent meetings through group discussions, role play and other experiential-based activities. Children and youth learn important skills through play, group discussions, theatre arts, games and other hands on activities.

Nevada Department of Agriculture’s records show the use of traditional pesticides continues to increase in the state. Nevada’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program helps agricultural producers, land managers; pest control operators, homeowners and other pest managers learn about and use alternative pest management strategies in a variety of environments and settings.

Preventing child abuse and neglect is a high priority in Elko County. Child caregivers, youth workers, volunteers and anyone interested in learning what they can do to prevent child abuse and neglect can attend this workshop. Participants learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, understand their reporting requirements and their role in preventing child maltreatment.

This University of Nevada Cooperative Extension program integrates sound science, collaboration and common sense to put public agency land managers, livestock permittees and other land users on the same page in terms of the range resource. It includes topics such as animal nutrition as related to range management.

Noxious and invasive weeds are widespread throughout Nevada. They threaten agricultural and rangeland productivity. Rural counties are susceptible to significant adverse economic damage. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension education programs help individuals and weed control organization reduce the abundance of noxious weeds.

Project MAGIC is an innovative, collaborative program designed to help juvenile offenders leave the criminal justice system and become productive members of society. While participating in the program, young people ages 12 to 18 learn: positive communication skills, team building, problem solving and decision making, self-responsibility, conflict resolution, aspiration building and goal setting. Youth also select and conduct a service project designed to benefit their community. Parent sessions include the same life skills.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension conducts several sustainable agriculture programs including researching alternative crops, introducing sustainable biodiversity/multiple use of rangelands, and increasing the number of pest control materials labeled in and increasing the knowledge and implementation rate of IPM practices in Nevada.